Wednesday morning dawned bright and merciless.
The deeper forensic scan was scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM sharp. Guàn Jǐngchén had already cleared his entire schedule for the day, telling Assistant Chen he would be working from the penthouse. He wanted to be with Lin Yuè when the results came in — "just in case," he had said with a gentle smile, though his eyes carried the shadow of old instincts.
Lin Yuè woke to the feeling of warm lips pressing against his shoulder. Guàn Jǐngchén was already awake, propped on one elbow, watching him with that intense, protective gaze that made Lin Yuè's chest ache.
"Good morning, baby," the CEO murmured, voice still rough from sleep. He leaned down and kissed Lin Yuè slowly, deeply, tongue sliding against his in a lazy, possessive dance. His hand roamed down Lin Yuè's bare side, fingers tracing the faint marks left from the night before.
Lin Yuè melted into the kiss, arms wrapping around Guàn Jǐngchén's neck. For a few precious minutes, the world narrowed to just this — warm skin, soft gasps, the steady heartbeat he had grown addicted to.
Guàn Jǐngchén rolled them so he was on top, pressing Lin Yuè into the mattress. The kiss deepened, hands exploring with familiar hunger. He took his time, kissing down Lin Yuè's neck, sucking gentle marks into the sensitive skin, then moving lower to lavish attention on his chest. His mouth closed around one nipple, tongue circling while his fingers teased the other.
Lin Yuè arched with a soft moan, fingers threading into dark hair. "Jǐngchén…"
Guàn Jǐngchén continued downward, kissing and licking a wet trail over Lin Yuè's stomach until he reached the hardening length between his thighs. He took him into his mouth — hot, wet, and unhurried — tongue swirling around the head before sliding down as far as he could. One hand stroked what his mouth couldn't reach while the other teased Lin Yuè's entrance with slick fingers, pushing in slowly and scissoring gently.
Pleasure built in waves. Lin Yuè's hips twitched, soft whimpers escaping as Guàn Jǐngchén worked him open with care and skill.
When Lin Yuè was trembling and begging, Guàn Jǐngchén pulled off and positioned himself. He pushed inside with one smooth, deep thrust, both of them groaning at the tight heat. He set a slow, intense rhythm — deep rolls of his hips that dragged against that sensitive spot inside Lin Yuè with every stroke.
Their eyes stayed locked the entire time. Guàn Jǐngchén's hand wrapped around Lin Yuè, stroking him in perfect time.
"I love you," the CEO whispered, voice raw. "No matter what the scan says today, I love you."
Lin Yuè's eyes stung with tears. He came first with a broken cry, spilling between them. Guàn Jǐngchén followed moments later, burying himself deep with a low groan as he filled him once more.
They stayed connected for a long time afterward, foreheads pressed together, breathing ragged. Guàn Jǐngchén kissed away the tears on Lin Yuè's cheeks, murmuring soft reassurances.
At 9:00 AM exactly, the scan began.
Guàn Jǐngchén kept Lin Yuè in his arms on the couch, the tablet resting on the coffee table. They watched the progress bar climb together — 12%… 28%… 47%… The CEO's hand never left Lin Yuè's, fingers intertwined tightly.
"You're tense," Guàn Jǐngchén observed, pressing a kiss to his temple. "There's nothing to worry about. The previous scan was clean. This one will be too."
Lin Yuè nodded, leaning his head on the older man's shoulder. "I know. I just… don't want anything to change."
"Nothing will change," Guàn Jǐngchén promised, voice firm. "You're mine. The papers are signed. The company knows. The scan is just a formality."
The progress bar continued to climb.
At 51%, Guàn Jǐngchén pulled Lin Yuè fully into his lap, kissing him deeply to distract him. The kiss turned heated, hands roaming, but they didn't go further — both too aware of the ticking clock.
By 11:30 AM, the scan reached 89%.
Guàn Jǐngchén's thumb stroked the back of Lin Yuè's hand. "Almost done. Then we can forget about all of this and just be together."
Lin Yuè swallowed hard. He had done everything possible to cover his tracks. The backdoor was dormant. The extraction script was gone. His old contacts were blocked. The Lin Yuè identity had been built meticulously.
But three days of calm had not erased the fear.
At 12:17 PM, the tablet chimed.
**Scan Complete — 100%.**
Guàn Jǐngchén opened the results immediately. Lin Yuè held his breath, heart hammering so loudly he was sure the CEO could hear it.
Guàn Jǐngchén scrolled through the summary, expression calm at first… then faintly puzzled.
"No anomalies in core systems," he read aloud. "Minor flagged inconsistencies in old financial trails, but they trace back to standard vendor discrepancies. No links to any known hacker signatures."
He set the tablet down and turned to Lin Yuè with a relieved smile. "Clean. Again."
Lin Yuè let out a shaky breath, tears of relief pricking his eyes. He buried his face in Guàn Jǐngchén's neck, clinging to him tightly.
Guàn Jǐngchén held him close, stroking his back. "See? Nothing to worry about. The ghost is finally dead."
Lin Yuè nodded against his skin, but inside, the relief was bittersweet.
The scan had passed.
He had more time.
But the whispers in the company hadn't stopped. Li Wei's suspicion lingered. And the anonymous threat from days ago still echoed in his mind.
The calm felt too perfect.
Too fragile.
Guàn Jǐngchén tilted his chin up and kissed him tenderly. "Tonight we celebrate. Just you and me. No work. No scans. Only us."
Lin Yuè smiled — small, soft, and genuine despite everything.
"Yes," he whispered. "Only us."
As they moved to the kitchen to prepare lunch together, Lin Yuè stole glances at the man he loved.
He had survived the scan.
But the real storm was still coming.
And when it finally broke, he could only hope that the love they had built would be strong enough to withstand the truth.
End of Chapter 32